Juneteenth on the Waterfront Kicks Off Celebrations
June 17, 2022
Representing SF Black Wallstreet, Boug Cali, Rome’s Kitchen, Sukulenta SF, amd Mo’raysha’s served a sampler of grilled oysters, mac ‘n’ cheese, beef empanadas, and lemonade.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at Juneteenth on the Waterfront on June 11, 2022, to kick off a month of Juneteenth celebrations in San Francisco!
Also known as Freedom Day, Juneteenth is a national holiday commemorating the anniversary of Black Emancipation in the United States, honored on the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when freedom from slavery was proclaimed in the state of Texas. For the second year, we celebrated Juneteenth at the Embarcadero Ferry Terminal Plaza and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market with a day of community and delicious, handcrafted foods highlighting local Black-owned businesses.
Thank you to our participating vendors and community partners, who shared their talents, hospitality, and delicious food. Be sure to follow them and stay in touch: A Girl Named Pinky, Alkali Rye – Oakland’s Beverage Shop, Crumble & Whisk, Delightful Foods, Fillmore Merchants and Neighborhood Collaborative (Papa Rudy’s, Stormy C’s BBQ), Gumbo Social, Peaches Patties, Sam’s Gourmet Jams, SF Black Wallstreet (Boug Cali, Rome’s Kitchen, Sukulenta SF, Mo’raysha’s), The Lemonade Bar, Tha M’fn Vegan, Yes Pudding, San Francisco Human Rights Commission, and DJ Lonnie Taylor of BFF.fm.
Thank you also to Dontaye Bell of Gumbo Social and Chef Mo of 4ft and Up Kitchen for their cooking demos at the Foodwise Classroom, and Gina Wright and our Foodwise Teens for sharing a “Seeing Seeds as Beads” activity honoring traditional foods from Black culture.
We especially want to thank our cosponsors MegaBlack SF and Port of San Francisco, and partners En2action/Ujamaa Kitchen, Fillmore Merchants and Neighborhood Collaborative, La Cocina, Mandela Partners, and SF Black Wallstreet.
Thank you also to the Ferry Building Marketplace (Hudson Pacific Properties) and Ferry Plaza Farmers Market vendors who donated to the MegaBlack SF Black Wellness Fund, including Acme Bread Company, Balakian Farms, Batter Bakery, Farmer Joy, Hodo, Norte 54 (online), Root Down Farm, Star Route Farms, Winters Fruit Tree, Wise Goat Organics, and Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen. Together we raised $8,865 for the Black Wellness Fund.
MegaBlack SF fights for visibility, sovereignty, dignity and justice for Black San Franciscans. Help support the MegaBlack SF Black Wellness Fund, which invests in organizations that address issues of mental health and wellness; economic development, including employment and housing; and education for African American residents in the San Francisco Bay Area. Donate and support their work here.
Celebrate Juneteenth Weekend
Be sure to celebrate Juneteenth weekend with our partners Fillmore Merchants and Neighborhood Collaborative at Juneteenth SF Freedom Celebration on June 18 in the Fillmore District, and SF Black Wallstreet at San Francisco Juneteenth on June 19 at Bayview’s Gilman Park. You can find a list of Juneteenth celebrations around the Bay Area here.
Here are some highlights from the day. Click here to view the full Facebook album.
Guests dined on the Ferry Terminal Plaza.
Mayor London Breed (center) with Foodwise team members Christine Farren, Damaris Bonner, and Deven Okry and MegaBlack SF co-founder and Foodwise Board Director Shakirah Simley.
Foodwise Board Director and SFUSD Wellness Policy Manager Saeeda Hafiz with Physician Associate Fedna Morency.
Executive Director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission Sheryl Evans Davis, Mayor London Breed, and San Francisco Port Commissioner Kimberly Brandon.
Mayor London Breed visits with the Port of San Francisco.
En2Action’s Ujamaa Kitchen invited guests to share the names of their favorite Black-owned businesses.
Foodwise Teens hosted a public education activity with Gina Wright, crafting bracelets using beads that represent seeds from Black food culture.
Chef Dontaye Ball of Gumbo Social demonstrated a recipe for California Greens. In the afternoon, Chef Mo of 4ft and Up Kitchen demonstrated a recipe for Miso Soba Noodles.
Papa Rudy’s and Stormy C’s BBQ represented The Fillmore Merchant and Neighborhood Collaborative.
DJ Lonnie Taylor of BFF.fm crafted the soundtrack for the celebration.
A Girl Named Pinky served delectable baked treats and refreshing pink lemonade.